X: Stops the conversation short
with a quizzical look, wondering what on earth I do.

I stepped
out of full time work in the corporate world twice in my career. And during
both stints, I have had this conversation with all sorts of X s. And it has
never been any different.

Self-employed,
part – time, consultant, freelancer, contract, retainer, work from home - Not
many people recognize that each of these modes of employment is fairly different.
It often makes me feel like those in the flexi work space (not just women) are orphaned children of the corporate world. I know that’s a
strong statement, only because the fight against stereotypes is just as tough. Here
are some issues that I have faced from prospective
employers, clients and society at large on account of working from home:

Flexi work is an alibi for women on a career
break, owing to a life event

When I wanted
to get back to full time work after my first independent consulting stint,
interviewing with companies was a nightmare. I have always had to justify why I
made the decision to opt for a flexible work arrangement so early in my career
without a “valid” reason. “Valid” reasons include – marriage, pregnancy &
maternity. None were applicable to me at that point in time.

I was once
told at an interview that independent consulting work is tantamount to taking a
sabbatical! Essentially, I was being told that it was a nice way of covering up
gaps in full time work! Consequently, the work experience that I gathered over
this period could not be considered as “active work experience” (whatever that
is supposed to mean!) Never mind all the personal brand building, the sales,
the marketing and the delivery that I did single handedly.

If you are working from home, your job can’t
be all that important

I now work
in a full time role, mostly out of home. The societal perception of a woman
with a baby, who works from home, is rather parochial. There is so much
importance attached to working out of an office, some people just do not get
the concept of full time employment + work from home. It was tough in the
beginning, when everyone from my house help to relatives took my time for
granted. Random social engagements would be planned without my consent. When I
politely decline, common retorts include - “No one is going to know” or “A few
hours off will do no harm”. The worst that I have heard is “If your job was all
that important, you would be working in office, not at home!”

It took a
great deal of effort and a whole lot of saying no to make this arrangement
work.

Offering flexible work arrangements hampers
quality

The perception
that commitment and flexi work do not go hand in hand is so deeply ingrained in
a fairly large section of the corporate world. We are, as a society, driven by
the belief that -lack of monitoring would result in low quality output, lack of
a formal work space leads to lack of focus and lack of a full time work
agreement begets issues in accountability.

I’m
doing you a favour, I cannot pay you at market value

I have had
to turn down several projects that offered me as low as 50% of the market rate
as consulting fees. That such a deal is a nonstarter is besides the point, the
reason for the low offer is what is appalling - “We are “allowing” you to work
from home; you must take that into consideration”! Why is physical presence in an office a
determinant of pay? The attitude
towards flexi-working seems to be riding on favour rather than according it as
a benefit.

What’s your
story? Have you faced such stereotypes? How did you handle it? I’d love to know.

Sunday, 4 January 2015

In all my
life, I have spoken to him about this for not more than 60 seconds. He was
affected by polio as a child and had to be carried from room to room. This man,
who studied in a Malayalam medium school till class V, went on to become the
Chief Executive of a “mainstream” conglomerate in India and the CEO of an
American firm. At an age where people would choose to hang their boots up, he
established his entrepreneurial venture. He leads a normal life – he goes on
long walks, he drives, he swims, I’ve even seen him dance. This self-made man
is my father.

I came to
learn about the International Day for People with Disabilities a few months
back. Close on the heels of this, I had the opportunity to participate in a recruitment
drive for persons with disabilities. Most applicants to my company were polio
affected. I was a little crestfallen, since I have never viewed polio as a
disability! My father NEVER played the “disability” card either personally or
professionally, consequently, my mind refuses to equate my dad’s condition with
disability.

This brought
back an unpleasant experience that I had as a recruiter. I was with the hiring
manager at an interview for a sales position, and a candidate walked in with a
noticeable limp. After a short interview, the hiring manager seemed very
dismissive of his candidature. He expressed considerable doubt regarding his
ability to sell and blurted out an appalling statement – “What would a client
think if we sent a person like him to represent out brand?” I was infuriated;
he had touched a raw nerve. What was “person like him” even supposed to mean? I
reported this incident, he was issued a verbal warning and I was asked to
“orient” him towards dealing with “such” situations.

In my limited
experience, I have found that people with disabilities do not want sympathy,
they would be happy with some empathy. They do not want special privileges or
leeway with rules. They would appreciate not being stared at. All they want is
a fair chance to compete. And for heaven’s sake, they are “normal” people.

It is
amazing how the corporate world does its bit – Diversity & Inclusion and
the likes, but I think we must first address the biggest disability that the
human race has to deal with – that of the mind.